Hard to believe that Tiger turns 50 on Dec. 30. In recognition of the GOAT’s birthday, we’re revisiting his first instructional article for Golf Digest, which appeared in the August 1997 issue, not long after he turned pro. Woods continued to offer advice on the game for decades to our readers, but it’s interesting to see the topics he covered first. Here’s what he said:
COMBINE FEEL WITH SOUND MECHANICS
To putt well, you need a blend of feel and sound fundamentals. Every golfer tends to stress one slightly over the other; for the most part I am a “feel” putter. But solid fundamentals will help you putt well consistently. Here are some basic keys you should review from time to time. Combine them with nice touch, and you’ll have a lot of success.
• The reverse overlap grip, with your left forefinger placed atop the fingers of your right hand, makes your hands work as a unit.• Your posture should be loose and natural, not too upright or too bent over.• Keep your head down after the ball is gone. You’ll make solid contact and get a truer roll.• For stability, position most of your weight on your left side.
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Your position at the top of the backswing is crucial. When I’m swinging well, as I did for 63 holes at the Masters, I could tell a good shot was coming just by how solid I was at the top. Ideally, you should feel very tightly wound yet balanced at the same time. You want to feel like you can fire your right side on the downswing with no fear of the club or your body getting out of position. The idea is to make your backswing powerful, yet efficient. These checkpoints are sure to help.
• Let your right elbow come away from your side, but make sure it points at the ground.• The clubface is square when it’s parallel to your left forearm. A square clubface promotes accuracy.• Your left shoulder should turn directly under your chin.• Keep your right knee flexed. That restricts your hip turn a bit, and that means a more powerful coil.
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This article was originally published on golfdigest.com
